


Eternity In A Single Flower

by FlusteredFlamingo



Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Curses, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Short, Short One Shot, pre-tyrants tomb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 09:25:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19827220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlusteredFlamingo/pseuds/FlusteredFlamingo
Summary: Percy sees a flower and thinks of Jason. Short and sweet and fairly complete. Oneshot.





	Eternity In A Single Flower

“Pull over.”

  
“Monster?” 

  
“Not this time.”

  
They stood in a field, the last time Percy had stood in a field it had been deadly beaten up in a still-undecided match between him and Jason Grace. This place didn’t seem like it had grain spirits or Mr. D hanging about. It might have a stray flower goddess seeing as it was summer and the flowers had been what had drawn his eye. They were in a dried patch where the grass was hardly hanging onto the cracked earth. He wasn’t typically a flower guy. He knew Annabeth preferred books on architecture and overcomplicated rulers. This field was filled with strawflowers. Jason had told him about them back before him and Piper had gone looking for Leo after the quest of seven. Apparently they were temple flowers sacred to the gods or something. Percy considered one but didn’t pluck it, “Grace said he was going to put these in all the temples, guess they grow in places like this.”

  
Annabeth nodded, she’d locked up the car and brought out the cooler, “Hey seaweed brain let’s stop here for a bit. We’ve been driving for hours. They settled on a patch of grass a bit off from the flowers. The air was humid, filled with water. There would be a thunderstorm soon. By the time they were done there were flickers towards the still distant hills camp Jupiter nested in. 

  
“I’m going to bring him some of them."

  
“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it, I’m not sure about the nymph.”

  
Grover had once given Percy a talk, a long one he’d only half-listened to about respecting the earth under his feet. He’d been indignant about flowers for a while, specifically about asking before you picked them. Nature spirits could shed parts of themselves with little pain lie berries or leaves but to break a root was to cut out a heart and really people ought to ask before flicking at anythings heartstrings Grover has insisted. The latter part of this statement had been composed when Juniper had shown up and held gotten a bit flustered. Percy got the general idea, ask.

  
He leaned close to the dirt, “Uh hey plant can I take one of your flowers for my bro Jason?”  
There was a light breeze and now there were chlorophyll toes in front of him. He looked up. The nymph looked about six, she wore a silk yellow dress and had her arms crossed testily. One of her feet tapped.

“Why?” He could get along with this Nymph.

  
“Your flowers made me think of him that’s all, I think he’d appreciate one a lot.”

  
“Hmm…” The Nymph considered him carefully, leaned to the side to examine Annabeth as well. She contemplated for some time then nodded, “Alright.”

  
She leaned down carefully plucking one from the bunch leaving part of the stem intact and offering it in open hands, “Don’t crush it.”

  
“I’ll make sure seaweed brain doesn’t, Annabeth assured, “Can we give you anything in turn?”

  
The nymph frowned vaguely at their cooler, “Can I have some water?”

Annabeth carefully put the flower in the cooler to keep it fresh for the rest of the drive. When they got there she carefully extracted it once again to give to Percy. Percy had just a bag but Annabeth had a full suitcase and backpack. The suitcase was heavy packed with rulers drafting equipment, books, pencils and inks, and a calculator. He’d sat with her while she’d packed after getting off the phone with her cousin. Reyna was waiting for them over by the Little Tiber. She wore a black toga, she nodded to them but said nothing.

  
It was at the foot of Temple Hill. Percy tried to call it a memorial but Annabeth insisted it was a cenograph. There were candles and offerings at the foot of an intricately carved stone plaque that stood at about seven feet. The carver had included Jason’s glasses which was a nice touch. Percy set down the flowers at the foot of the stone, “Here bro, thought of you when I saw it. It’s one of those temple flowers.”  
The stone didn’t reply back but that was okay. There was another fresh flower which stood out among the offerings the curse of Delos just like what they’d used in the physician’s cure. He realized Annabeth was looking at the same thing. No one would’ve given the little thing a second glance just as most people wouldn’t have pulled over for strawflowers. No one but the seven and the twins would know what that flower could do.

  
“Do you think?”

  
“Yeah,” Annabeth wiped a tear from her cheek, “I think it’s from Apollo."


End file.
